скачать книгу бесплатно
“My family will be expecting me tomorrow afternoon, though with the weather, I’m not sure we’ll all be able to make it.”
“Where do they live?”
“My parents are in Gainesville. My sister and her husband settled in Chattanooga for work and because they love the area. My only brother, Jared, lives in Marietta. He’s probably the one who will have to come get me if I can’t drive my car. Mine’s a VW Beetle, so not really snow-worthy.”
“I see.”
It wasn’t much of a response. She gave up on chitchat and managed to eat one-handed. Either Nathaniel made a habit of buying gourmet peanut butter, or Dani was hungrier than she realized.
Her dinner companion prowled while he ate. The tension in his body broadcast itself across the room. Dani could understand his frustration.
When he pulled back the drapes and stared out into the night, Dani joined him at the window. All they could see in the beams from the streetlights was heavy, swirling snow. Nathaniel pulled out his phone and tapped the weather app. “Good Lord,” he said. “Look at the radar.”
The storm was far from finished. In fact, there was every indication it would still be snowing until the wee hours before dawn.
The scary situation had turned into an actual blizzard. It didn’t matter that by Tuesday the temps were supposed to be in the midfifties again. For now, they were well and truly stranded.
Nathaniel left her and began prowling again.
The silence built until Dani couldn’t bear it anymore. “Are you Jewish?” she asked, blurting it out before realizing that was not the kind of question one asked a work colleague.
He paused in his pacing to stare at her. “No. Where did that come from?”
Dani shrugged. “No Christmas tree. No decorations.” It was a logical conclusion.
“I live alone,” he said, his tone indicating a desire to shut the door on this particular line of conversation.
“So do I,” Dani pointed out. “But I have a tree and other stuff. It makes the season fun.”
“That’s a lot of work for only me to see. Can we change the subject?”
“Sure.” Maybe Nathaniel was a certified Scrooge. The idea made her sad. But she couldn’t very well persist in the face of his disinclination to explain. His lack of December frivolity was well documented and would remain a mystery. “I am worried about one thing,” she said.
“What’s that?”
Nathaniel had finished his sandwich and now cradled his coffee cup between his big, long-fingered hands. Oops. No thinking about hands, Danielle.
“Well,” she said slowly, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “I’m afraid this little one has slept so much during the evening she’ll be up all night. I’ve heard about babies who get their days and nights mixed up.”
“I can get by on a few hours of sleep. I’ll take the night shift. You deserve some rest.” He stood up. “Let me show you the guest room. I guess you’ll need a different shirt to sleep in?”
Three (#u06677bb9-c4af-59f7-bb75-c361e1df0494)
He made it a question. Having Dani wear his clothes and wear them so damned well made it hard for him to think about babies and responsibility. He’d been attracted to her for a long time, but he knew better than to get involved with an employee. He’d learned that lesson the hard way. It wasn’t one he would soon forget.
It was imperative that he get rid of Dani before he did something stupid—imperative for two reasons. One, he didn’t need the temptation of having his charming, cheerful, cute-as-the-proverbial-button assistant underfoot outside of office hours. And two, he felt guilty as hell for ruining her holiday plans. Maybe they were still salvageable. She said she hadn’t planned to leave until tomorrow, and Gainesville was not even two hours away.
Unfortunately, the massive and almost unprecedented winter storm was the wild card in this scenario. And then there was the baby. If he did the right thing and sent Dani home for Christmas, he’d be stuck caring for an infant. The notion was more than a little terrifying.
“Another shirt would be helpful,” Dani said quietly, not meeting his gaze.
“Follow me,” he said gruffly. The condo had two guest rooms. One he used as a home office. The other was furnished simply and elegantly in shades of amber, chocolate and ivory.
He’d hired a professional to do the whole condo when he bought it. Everything but the den. That was his and his alone. The huge comfy couch, big-screen TV and gas fireplace were things he had purchased on his own. Except for sleeping, he spent most of his leisure hours in the den. Ah, who was he kidding? He worked in there, as well. Creating boundaries had never been his strong suit.
In the guest room, Dani explored, the baby still in her arms. But the little girl was waking up.
Dani grinned and kissed the baby’s head. “Hey there, Peaches. Mr. Nathaniel is showing me around. You want to sleep in here with me?”
It was tempting, very tempting, to let Dani rescue him. But such cowardice would be wrong on several levels. He took the baby from her and shook his head. “Take a shower if you want to. Get ready for bed. Then you can help me get everything set up in my bedroom for the night.”
“Okay.” Dani’s eyes were big as saucers. Maybe she was worried about the innocent baby.
“I won’t let anything happen to her,” he said. The defensive note in his voice was unavoidable. As unpalatable as it seemed, he had to at least acknowledge the possibility, however slim, that Peaches was his. “We’ll give you some privacy,” he said. “When you’re ready, come find us.”
* * *
Dani returned to the foyer and gathered all her things. If she hung the dress and tights carefully, they might be wearable again. At the drugstore, she had bought toothpaste, a toothbrush and some facial cleanser. Fortunately—because of the Christmas party—she had made sure that morning to put mascara and other makeup in her purse for touch-ups.
After a quick shower, she rinsed out her bra and panties and hung them on the towel bar. Then she put on the sweatpants sans undies and spent a few minutes blow-drying her hair. It was thick and shoulder length, maybe her best feature. Because it was still a little damp when she was done, she left it loose. Whenever Nathaniel remembered to give her a second shirt, she would change into that for the night.
Barely half an hour had elapsed by the time she went in search of her host, forty-five minutes at the most. It wasn’t hard to locate him. All she had to do was follow the sound of screaming. Little Peaches had a great set of lungs.
Dani stopped dead in the doorway of Nathaniel’s bedroom, taking in the scene with openmouthed awe.
Nathaniel’s head shot up and he glared at her, his expression hot enough to melt steel. “If you dare laugh, you’re fired.”
She swallowed hard, schooling her face to show nothing more than calm interest. “I wouldn’t dream of laughing.” It was maybe the biggest lie she had ever uttered. Poor Nathaniel.
Peaches had experienced what those in the parenting world not-so-fondly call a blowout. A poop so big and messy it squirts out the sides of the diaper and into every crevice imaginable. It was clear Nathaniel had made a heroic effort to remove the dirty diaper and replace it with a clean one, but he was taking too long, and poor Peaches was mad.
Dani grabbed several wipes out of the container and began cleaning the spots Nathaniel had either missed or hadn’t gotten to yet. The baby was stark naked. Nathaniel had poop on his hands, his sweatshirt and if she weren’t mistaken, a smudge on his chin. He was wild-eyed and flushed.
Her heart squeezed in sympathy. Most parents had nine months to get used to the idea of a baby. Nathaniel had been tossed in the deep end. If Peaches weren’t his at all, this whole experience was even more unfair.
“I’ll pick her up,” Dani said. “You start getting rid of all the nasty stuff and throw your comforter in the washer.” She was afraid the bed covering was beyond redemption.
Carrying the baby into the bathroom and using the sink as a miniature bathtub was her next step. Fortunately, the little one stopped crying when she saw herself in the mirror. Dani adjusted the water temperature and grabbed a washcloth.
The bottle of liquid hand soap on the counter would have to do for now. Moments later, she wrapped the sweet-smelling infant in one of Nathaniel’s big, fluffy towels and returned to the bedroom.
Nathaniel had just finished cleaning up the mess that was his mattress. He held out a fresh diaper. “You can do the honors.”
“Of course. I can’t believe this Ophelia person left you with nothing. We don’t even have another outfit for the baby.”
“I turned up the thermostat. And I put her sleeper in the wash with all the rest. It will be ready in a couple of hours.”
“I guess that will have to do.” Since Peaches was sucking on her fist, it seemed another bottle was in order. “I’ll feed her again. Your turn in the bathroom.”
When she turned to walk away, Nathaniel put his hand on her shoulder lightly. “Thank you, Dani. I know my thanks is not enough, but I want you to know I’m grateful.”
They were standing so close together she could see the dark stubble on his chin. It was the end of the day. That made sense. His brown eyes were deep pools of melted chocolate. He smelled of soap and a tiny hint of aftershave and maybe even a whiff of baby poop. Dani bit her bottom lip. Why had the baby chosen now to be docile? A diversion would be helpful.
“You’re welcome,” she said quietly. “I know this isn’t easy. You’re doing the right thing.”
He shrugged. “It’s not as if I had a choice.”
“Even without the snowstorm, I think you would have taken the child. Because you have to know...one way or another.”
“Who made you so smart?”
“Not smart. Just realistic. You’re not the kind of man to walk away from a responsibility, unpleasant or otherwise.”
“It’s more that that,” he said.
His hand was still on her shoulder, fingers splayed, though she wasn’t sure he noticed. “How so?”
“What if Peaches is mine? Birth control is never a hundred percent. What if this little girl is my only shot at having a child?”
“You don’t think you’ll get married one day?”
The hour was late. It had been a very strange day. Nathaniel was practically embracing Dani and the baby. She wanted to lean into him and rest her head. She was tired and confused and very afraid of doing something she would regret.
It took everything she had to step back and break the spell. “I shouldn’t have asked you that,” she said hastily. “I’m sorry, Mr. Winston.” She used his last name as a shield, but it was flimsy armor at best.
You can’t put a genie back in the bottle, though. Nathaniel gave her a pointed look as if he saw right through her attempt to be businesslike. “I think we have to concentrate on what’s important here. If you and Peaches are really okay for the moment, I’ll jump in the shower. I still smell like a diaper pail.”
“No, you don’t,” Dani protested, laughing. “But yeah, we’re fine. Take your time.”
On her way to the den, the doorbell rang. No one could come up without going through the reception desk downstairs, so this must be the delivery from the drugstore. She pressed the intercom button and waited for confirmation just to be sure.
After the young teenager unloaded all the baby paraphernalia in the foyer, Dani tipped him well and sent him on his way.
“This is it, Peaches,” she said, bending down to pick up the smallest package of diapers. “I hope I did the math right. This has to last us until the snow melts or your mama shows up, whichever comes first.”
Of course, it didn’t take a genius to guess that Ophelia was probably snowed in wherever she was hiding out. It was creepy to think a woman like that had been watching as Nathaniel and Dani spotted the infant carrier for the first time. What would she have done if the two of them had walked away? She must have been relying on the decency of human nature. Even so, Dani would never have left her own baby in such circumstances. It was too risky.
She wandered back to the den and spread an afghan on the thick carpet so the baby could have tummy time. Peaches was very mobile already and trying her best to sit up. No signs of any bottom teeth poking through. Dani guessed the little girl was about five months old, maybe six.
As the baby played with a rattle from the drugstore, Dani stretched out beside her and leaned back on her elbows. It was a strange feeling to be a guest in her boss’s home. Definitely outside the parameters of their usual interactions. Up until today, she’d had no clue where he lived.
Now, suddenly, everything was different.
When Nathaniel reappeared, his hair was damp and he had ditched the clothes the baby had desecrated.
“Much better,” Dani teased, telling herself her heart wasn’t beating faster.
He grinned, the sudden smile taking her by surprise. Her boss was more serious than playful as a rule. “Is it still Friday?” he asked, leaning a hip against the arm of the sofa. “I feel like we’ve fallen through the rabbit hole.”
“Still Friday. I’m guessing your life isn’t usually so tumultuous?”
“You could say that.” He raked both hands through this hair. “I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”
“Look at it this way. You probably saved me from being stranded on the side of the road. At least I’m safe and warm and dry.”
“What a testimonial. Have you called your family yet?”
“Yes. I told them I was staying with a friend and that I would check in again tomorrow.”
“Let’s hope we don’t lose power.”
“Bite your tongue. That’s not even funny.”
“I wasn’t joking. If we do get ice on the back end of this thing, the situation could get dicey.”
“Oh, goody. Something to look forward to.”
He cocked his head, his lips twitching. “How have I never noticed what a smart mouth you have?”
“I’m always deferential in our work environment.” She smiled demurely, astonished to realize they were flirting. Of course, with a baby between them nothing could happen. But still...
Nathaniel stood up to pace. She was beginning to recognize his signature mood when he was agitated. He did it occasionally at work, but it was more pronounced on his home turf. “Is she getting sleepy?” he asked. “When should we put her to bed?”
“How should I know? Do you have work you need to do? You might as well let me take care of her for the moment. It’s not like I can go anywhere.”
“I know, I know. And I’m sorry.”
“Quit apologizing, Nathaniel. Humility doesn’t become you.”
“Ouch.” He squatted and rubbed the baby’s tummy, his gaze pensive. “She doesn’t look like me, not even a little bit.”
The non sequitur betrayed his inner turmoil. Dani felt her heart squeeze. “In my experience, babies this age rarely look like anybody but themselves, Nathaniel. Don’t torment yourself. Until you know for sure, she’s just a baby.”
“I suppose.” He glanced sideways at her. “Go on to bed, Dani. I’ll come get you if I get in trouble.”
“You promise?”
“I do.”
* * *
Nathaniel sighed beneath his breath. Hopefully Dani didn’t realize how completely out of his element he was. He had learned long ago—while earning his stripes in the business world—never to show fear. He could negotiate with the baddest of the badasses. What he didn’t know how to do was take care of a helpless human. Little Peaches was so damned fragile.
He scooped her up. “Here’s the thing, kiddo. I need you to cut me a break tonight. I’ll feed you and change your diaper, but you need to sleep. That’s what babies do.”
The little girl stuck a thumb in her mouth and stared up at him, unblinking. What was she thinking? Did babies think about anything?
After turning out the lights, he carried Peaches to his bedroom and surveyed the furnishings. As far as he could tell, the most important thing was to keep the kid confined. He knew it was dangerous to put her in his own bed. After getting out of the shower earlier, he had spread a sheet on the soft carpet and surrounded it with several wooden chairs. He’d probably be awake all night worrying about the kid, but he’d survive.
